A new board has been set up by the city council to review standards and practices for buying food for schools, elderly people’s homes and other council venues.

BURGER: Pork was allegedly found in halal food last year

It follows the withdrawal of halal lamb burgers supplied to 19 schools by Paragon Quality Foods in April after the council claimed tests showed up to 50 per cent pork in a sample burger.

However, this was disputed by the Doncaster firm which claimed independent tests it commissioned revealed the burger did not contain any pork at all.

Paragon Quality Foods had considered taking legal action but are believed not to have proceeded with this.

Leicester City Council has refused to reveal the results of further tests taken from the halal lamb burger because of an on-going investigation which, it says, could be “prejudiced”.

Seven members of council staff make up the new Food Procurement Board, including chairman Neil Bayliss – the head of procurement – alongside the head of care services, the education catering manager and others.

Mr Bayliss said: “The board was established to thoroughly review the council’s standards and practices for purchasing food.

“We want to ensure that all food bought by the city council is subject to the most robust quality assurance procedures and have worked closely with our contract provider, which has already increased the frequency of its monitoring and testing.

“All quality assurance standards will continue to be reviewed by the board on a regular basis.”